Monday, August 31, 2020

'Trump stokes violence in our cities, he can't stop it because he's fomented it' - Joe Biden

Biden condemns opponent as 'toxic' and denounces violent protest


Speech: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images


Alexandra Jaffe, Joseph Lemire and Will Weissert
September 01 2020 

Declaring Donald Trump a "toxic presence," Joe Biden forcefully condemned the violence at recent protests while also blaming the US president for fomenting the divide that's sparking it.

"He doesn't want to shed light, he wants to generate heat, and he's stoking violence in our cities," Mr Biden said. "He can't stop the violence because for years he's fomented it."




Biden attacks Trump for 'fomenting violence'

In one of his sharpest attacks on the president yet, Mr Biden went on to call Mr Trump a "toxic presence in this nation for four years" and accuse him of "poisoning the values this nation has always held dear, poisoning our very democracy".

"In just a little over 60 days, we have a decision to make: Will we rid ourselves of this toxin? Or make it a permanent part of our nation's character?" Mr Biden asked.

The speech marked a new phase of the campaign as the Democratic challenger steps up his travel after largely remaining near his home in Wilmington, Delaware, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. And, after focusing his candidacy on accusing Mr Trump of mishandling the pandemic, Mr Biden is making a broader push to argue Americans won't be safe if his opponent wins re-election.

That was an effort to blunt Mr Trump's line of argument that a Biden presidency would mean more violence and rioting in the streets, part of the law and order message the president is emphasising as some protests against racial injustice have become violent.

The Trump campaign has sought to keep that focus because a sense has taken hold in his camp that the more the national discourse is about anything other than the virus, the better it is for the president.

The president tweeted: "The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their 'Movement.' It wasn't supposed to be like this, but the Anarchists & Agitators got carried away and don't listen anymore - even forced Slow Joe out of basement!"

Mr Trump and his Republican allies have falsely accused Mr Biden of ignoring the violence committed by some protesters at recent demonstrations after people were shot at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Portland, Oregon in recent weeks.

Yesterday Mr Biden denounced violence and looting at protests.


"It's lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted," he said.

He also accused Mr Trump of being too "weak" to call on his own supporters to stop acting as "armed militia". And he leaned on his own 47-year career in politics to defend himself against Republican attacks.

"You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family's story," he said. "Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?"

Mr Biden hit Mr Trump on everything from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic to the economy to relations with Russia.

He declared that even as the president is "trying to scare America", what was really causing the nation's fear was Mr Trump's own failures.

Mr Biden pointed to a rise in murders this past year, the tens of thousands dead from the coronavirus and the economic damage done by the pandemic. "You want to talk about fear? They're afraid they're going to get Covid, they're afraid they're going to get sick and die," Mr Biden said.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, the National Guard was deployed to quell demonstrations in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, that have resulted in some looting, vandalism and the shooting deaths of two protesters.

One of Mr Trump's supporters was shot at a demonstration in Portland, Oregon, prompting multiple tweets from the president.

Portland has seen nearly 100 consecutive nights of Black Lives Matter protests, with vandalism to federal and city property.

Mr Trump and other speakers at last week's Republican National Convention frequently highlighted incidents of violence at protests that were sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last May, predicting that if Mr Biden is elected in November such incidents will become the norm.

Mr Biden in turn has accused his opponent of viewing the violence as a "political benefit."

"He's rooting for more violence, not less," Mr Biden said last week.


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